


Hux's 40th Birthday

by Rebelwerewolf



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Birthday Party, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 23:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8553067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebelwerewolf/pseuds/Rebelwerewolf
Summary: A slice-of-life story about Hux's 40th birthday from Kylo's perspective.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thewightknight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewightknight/gifts), [boredbyreality](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boredbyreality/gifts), [MoonwalkingCrab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonwalkingCrab/gifts), [pudding (pudding_and_poison)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pudding_and_poison/gifts), [Cylin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cylin/gifts), [Angryangryowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angryangryowl/gifts), [courgette96](https://archiveofourown.org/users/courgette96/gifts), [jellyfishsodapop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellyfishsodapop/gifts).



> To the Dude Harem, because I made them sad by saying Hux would never live to see his 40th birthday. Well, in this fic, he does.
> 
> As always, thank you to my wonderful spouse for editing.

"It's good to see Dad babysitting the kids," quipped the cashier as Kylo unloaded his shopping cart onto the conveyor belt. Three gallons of ice cream - strawberry for Hux, rocky road for Kylo, and mint chocolate chip for the kids. Four packages of brightly-colored candles. Three liters of soda - root beer, ginger ale, and orange. One butane lighter, because it was one of those items they always misplaced. They probably had a drawer full of lighters somewhere, sitting alongside mismatched socks.

Kylo didn't dignify the cashier's remark with a response, though he barely suppressed an eye roll. Bringing one's own kids grocery shopping could hardly be considered babysitting, and besides, there was no mom in the family, just himself and Hux. Instead, he called to his older child, "Hey Champ, toss those paper towels up on the belt." 

Trinity complied with a grin. She had insisted on helping to carry something and had followed him around the store tightly clutching the family-sized pack of paper towels in both arms. After Kylo paid for the groceries, she again hugged the paper towels close as she followed her dad and her brother to the car.

Their next stop was a specialty bakery, where they picked up a cake covered in black fondant and airbrushed with blues, purples, and greens to look like outer space. Edible glitter stars dotted the surface, while fondant-covered cake balls on toothpicks gave the appearance of planets. It was easily the most beautiful - and the most expensive - cake that Kylo had ever purchased. 

"That's not a real planet," Logan complained, pointing to a red-and-blue swirled cake ball. Hux had wasted no time in sharing his astronomy hobby with the kids.

"There's more than one hundred billion galaxies, doofus," chided Trinity. "I bet you one of them has a planet that looks like that."

"Trinity," Kylo warned half-heartedly as he signed the receipt. "Don't call your brother names." Behind Kylo’s back, Logan stuck his tongue out at his sister, who made a face in return.

After making sure both kids were buckled in, Kylo handed the boxed cake to Trinity. "Hold onto this with your life, kiddo," he said, flashing a grin. "Your papa's gonna be pissed if his birthday party isn't perfect." Then Kylo folded himself into the driver's seat of their station wagon and set out for home.

They were just rounding the corner to the entrance of their little suburban neighborhood when it happened. A pickup truck came speeding past, ignoring the stop sign, and Kylo yanked the steering wheel hard to swerve out of its path while stomping on the brake. 

The tires screeched loudly, and Kylo could hear the kids screaming in the backseat. There was a bump as the front of the station wagon rode up onto a curb and then, thankfully, abruptly stopped. Kylo sat still for a moment, stunned and full of adrenaline. Then the familiar rush of anger overcame him, and he slammed his hand on the steering wheel repeatedly, a loud angry honk from the horn accompanying each slap.

"Daddy?" A small voice snapped Kylo out of his rage like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. He had always found his temper tantrums cathartic. Destroying things when upset helped him regain control over his surroundings and, by extension, his senses. Hux had always kept his distance and allowed Kylo to work off his anger on inanimate objects, but three years ago, everything changed when they adopted Trinity and Logan.

The siblings, then 5 and 7, had been removed from an abusive home and put into the foster system. At first, even a slightly raised voice or an accidentally dropped item would make Logan cry and Trinity start running for cover. Kylo had put himself through half a year of anger management training with a therapist because he never wanted to see the terrified looks on their little faces again. And now he had failed.

Kylo took three deep breaths, counted to ten, and turned to look at the back seat. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, forcing his voice into an even tone. 

Trinity nodded. "I kinda smushed the cake though," she admitted. "Is Papa gonna be mad?"

"No, Champ," Kylo reassured her quickly. If Hux was going to be mad at anyone, it would be at him. "How about you, Buddy?" he asked Logan. The boy's face was tear-streaked, and he was sniffling quietly. He shook his head. "Logan? Tell me what's wrong. Are you hurt?" Kylo asked his son. The boy shook his head again.

After a few more sniffles, Logan said timidly, "I peed myself."

Kylo let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and actually barked a short laugh. "It's okay, Buddy. We'll get you changed once we're home." Logan's little face nodded back at him.

Now, to see what damage had been done to the car. Turning on his emergency blinker and checking to make sure there were no approaching cars, Kylo backed slowly off the curb. He instructed the kids to stay in the car while he went outside to inspect it. The front right wheel, the one that had hit the curb first, was bent, and the tire was flat. He peeked underneath the car and didn't immediately see any damage. 

"Alright guys," he said, opening the rear door closest to the curb, the side Trinity was sitting on. "I need you to come stand outside with me while I change the tire."

"What about the cake?" asked Trinity. The box was crushed on all sides but still closed. There was no way to tell what damage had been done, but the cake should probably still be edible.

"Leave it in the car."

Both kids filed out of the car, and Kylo stripped off his sweatshirt to tie around Logan's waist. "Thanks, Dad," the boy mumbled, and Kylo felt a swelling in his heart. He peeked into the empty backseat and, noticing the puddle where Logan had been sitting, decided to strip off his t-shirt as well to mop up some of the urine and hopefully save the station wagon's leather seats.

The autumn air was chilly across Kylo's bared torso as he grabbed the spare tire, jack, and tools from the trunk. He had just finished placing the jack underneath the car when a familiar voice shouted at them from a passing car. "Hey! Need some help there?"

The car pulled up in front of the disabled station wagon and two men got out, one blond and one raven-haired. It was Thanisson and Mitaka, on their way to Hux's birthday party. "Man, I'm glad to see you. You boys are lifesavers," Kylo admitted, standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans. He had to remind himself that Mitaka and Thanisson were now in their early 30's, no longer technically "boys". It seemed just yesterday when the two of them had been interns at First Order, Kylo had been a new hire fresh out of college, and Hux had been the charismatic young startup founder. 

"Uncle Dopheld! Uncle Phil!" the kids cried in excitement. Mitaka and Thanisson were definitely the "cool" uncles, playing video games and watching TV with the kids whenever they babysat. Mitaka also made a mean grilled cheese. While Trinity gave each of them an elaborately choreographed handshake, Logan hung shyly behind, still embarrassed at having wet himself. 

It was decided that Mitaka would take the kids back to the Hux-Solo house while Thanisson stayed to help Kylo with the spare tire. The groceries and the crushed cake were loaded into Mitaka's car, and then Kylo gave each kid a goodbye kiss on the forehead. "Dad!" Trinity complained. "You're so embarrassing! We're going to see you in, like, 15 minutes!"

"I don't know if I can survive that long without you," joked Kylo, clutching at his heart. "You're my little arc reactors. You power the Iron Dad suit." Trinity rolled her eyes, but she and Logan were both smiling as they clambered into the backseat of Mitaka's car.

Everyone was already at the party by the time Kylo and Thanisson slowly pulled up to the house. The driveway was full, so they parked on the street. Hux greeted Kylo at the door with a long hug, a quick kiss, and a quiet "Thank God you're all right."

"Mitaka told you what happened?" Kylo asked.

"Yeah," Hux said. Kylo waited for his husband to go on a tirade about the car and how inconvenient or expensive it would be to take to a shop. Instead, Hux told him, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but go put a shirt on and come join the party." He playfully swatted Kylo's butt as Kylo headed for their room to grab a clean shirt. 

Kylo emerged from the bedroom wearing a solid black button-down shirt and set out to greet the guests. He briefly thanked Mitaka, who was on the couch eating popcorn, for bringing the kids home. Phasma, Hux's best friend since college, sat next to him, her feet propped up on the coffee table. "Hey Phas, how did the afternoon go?"

"Not bad. We went for mani-pedis," she said, wiggling her newly-painted toes. "Hux insisted on having his toenails painted pink. You should have seen the manicurist try to talk him out of it. Finally Hux just goes, 'I don't care if it's not masculine! I'm an old, married gay man.'" Phasma crossed her arms as she mimicked Hux.

Kylo chuckled. "Your Hux impression is scarily spot-on." Then he lowered his voice. "Is he... you know... upset?"

Phasma looked genuinely confused. "Why would he be upset?"

"The car?" Kylo winced. "I bet the cake and ice cream were ruined too."

Phasma sighed and patted the couch for Kylo to sit. When he remained standing, she said, "He knows it wasn't your fault, and being upset won't change the situation. He's trying to enjoy his birthday, and you should too."

Not ready to face Hux yet, Kylo left Phasma and wandered into the backyard, making sure to shut the sliding door behind him to prevent their old cat Millicent from escaping. The centerpiece of the yard was a playground set that he and Hux had built when they learned that their adoption application had gone through. Right now, it was partially serving its intended purpose. Logan was sitting on a swing, his feet dangling, engrossed in a handheld video game. Next to him, on the other swing, sat Aurora, one of Rey, Finn, and Poe's twins. She held a matching game console. Every once in a while, one of the kids would peek over at the other's screen, and the two would strategize together.

Trinity lay across the monkey bars on her stomach, a position that Kylo couldn't possibly believe was comfortable. They had bought her a smartphone for her 10th birthday, and now she was happily tapping away at it. Aurora's twin brother Oliver sat cross-legged on the platform at the top of the slide. His nose was buried in a book that was surprisingly thick for a 5-year-old. Kylo smiled and shrugged. Kids these days. 

Thanisson and Finn were sitting next to each other on lawn chairs facing the playground set. Kylo and Finn hadn't always been on the best of terms. Finn had been one of the rising stars at First Order when he abruptly quit. On one occasion shortly afterward, Kylo had gotten in his face and called him a traitor. It had taken Rey, Hux, and Poe to prevent a fight from breaking out. But when the twins were born, Rey had told Kylo in no uncertain terms that Finn was family, and Kylo had better learn to set his professional pride aside for the sake of his personal life. Kylo had surprised even himself by agreeing to extend an olive branch and then following through with it. 

When Kylo approached the two men, Finn stood and gave him a hug, patting him on the back twice. "I heard about the car. Good to see you in one piece, man," said Finn.

"It was nothing. Good to see you, too," Kylo echoed. They eased into conversation with some small talk about movies, TV shows, and the local sports teams. Kylo was relieved when Thanisson chimed in, and he was able to just sit and listen.

It felt almost meditative - the gentle fall breeze that didn't quite have enough bite to make Kylo shiver, the occasional creak of the playground set as the kids moved around, the snippets of conversation that he caught from Thanisson and Finn. Time floated by, hazy and surreal.

After what could have been a few minutes or half an hour, Kylo took a deep breath of fresh air and stood, his head suitably cleared. "Well, time to go face the husband."

"Good luck," Thanisson and Finn called to his back as Kylo headed inside.

Hux was in the kitchen holding a glass of wine and laughing at a joke that Poe had just told. When he saw Kylo, he slung an arm around his shoulder, and said, “There you are, love. I was starting to think you’d gotten lost.” Hux could be quite touchy-feely once he’d had a few drinks. At least he was less likely to be upset in this state.

Rey was perched on one of their counter stools, hungrily shoveling popcorn and chips into her mouth. “When’re we gonna eat cake?” she asked with her mouth full. Kylo chuckled at his cousin. Even now, as a 29-year-old mother of twins, she couldn’t be bothered with table manners. That was one of the things that made her so endearing.

“Uh…” said Kylo, looking at his husband. “Is now good?”

“Sure,” Hux responded. He set his wine glass down and started to wobble toward the fridge before Kylo caught him around the waist.

“No, no, it’s your birthday, pumpkin,” Kylo said, leading him to one of the unoccupied stools and sitting him down. “You’re like the emperor today. Allow me.” Kylo bent in an exaggerated bow. Hux giggled and swatted playfully at the back of Kylo’s lowered head.

Kylo retrieved the crushed cake box from the fridge and, placing it on the counter, took a deep breath before opening it. The once-beautiful cake had split down the middle. One of the halves was mostly intact, while the other was mostly plastered to the side of the box. Two of the planets had been squished into the cake itself. The rest had fallen off and sat, broken, at the bottom of the box.

Running a hand through his hair in despair, Kylo considered, for a moment, putting his fist through the cake. It was already ruined anyway. 

“Kind of looks like your face,” said a teasing voice next to Kylo. He turned and found Phasma, who had somehow silently entered the kitchen. He glared at her, and she threw her hands in front of her innocently in response. “Joking. It could be worse. We’ll just get the good half on a plate.” They levered the cake out of the box using two spatulas, miraculously managing to keep it right-side-up.

Kylo did a cursory glance around the kitchen and could not see the candles or the lighter that he had purchased. Phasma hadn’t seen them either, and he didn’t want to bother Hux, who was engaged in conversation with Rey and Poe. Kylo stalked into the living room to find Mitaka.

“Hey Mitaka, what did you –” Kylo stopped short when he saw Mitaka pinning Thanisson to the wall, the two of them nuzzling like bunnies. He was backing awkwardly out of the room – his own living room – when Thanisson spoke.

“Babe? I think Kylo’s trying to say something to you.” Mitaka flushed red and leapt away from Thanisson, positioning his hands carefully in front of his crotch.

“S-sorry. I promise we weren’t doing anything,” Mitaka stammered.

Kylo rolled his eyes. “Come on, we’ve seen worse. Remember that time your apartment’s heater broke, and you stayed on our couch and fucked loudly every single night?” Mitaka’s blush deepened. Kylo had walked past the couch one of those nights to refill his glass of water in the kitchen. His shout of “Holy shit!” had woken Hux, who had come sprinting out of his room to find his husband gawking at two surprised and very naked men. The embarrassment would have been bad enough, but Kylo had dropped his glass in his shock, and Hux ended up stepping on a shard of broken glass with his bare foot. Mitaka and Thanisson had been very apologetic, and Kylo and Hux decided to avoid leaving their room at night until their guests left.

“I was just wondering… Where did you put the candles?” Kylo continued.

“Candles?”

“Yeah, there were some candles in the shopping bags. And a lighter.”

“Oh, shit! Sorry, I didn’t know. I just put the soda in the fridge and the ice cream in the freezer.”

Kylo found the candles and the lighter in the freezer, coated with a layer of melted and re-frozen ice cream. The half-cake was barely large enough to contain all 40 candles – he had to pack them in quite densely. Thankfully, the lighter still worked after warming it up in his hands for a bit. Kylo gathered the kids and the rest of the guests around their kitchen table before lighting the candles. It looked like the entire cake was ablaze.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear –”

“Hux,” sang Rey in a bright soprano, Poe in a beautiful baritone, Finn in a shy whisper, Thanisson in a nasally tenor, and Mitaka in a slightly different key.

“Asshole,” sang Phasma with a smirk.

“Pumpkin,” sang.Kylo in his rumbly bass-baritone, ruffling Hux’s hair affectionately.

“Uncle Armie,” shouted Aurora and Oliver.

“Papa,” screeched Trinity and Logan, for the kids were having a match to see who could sing the loudest.

“Happy birthday to you!” Everyone cheered and clapped as Hux blew out the candles. It took him several tries. Kylo managed to snap a terribly unattractive picture of him with his mouth hanging open and one eye closed.

 

* * *

 

After the guests had left, the kids had been put to bed, and they were alone in their room, Kylo flopped onto their bed dejectedly. "I'm sorry your birthday was such a mess," he sighed, covering his face with his hands.

"It wasn't," Hux reassured, laying down on the bed next to Kylo and placing one hand comfortingly on his thigh. "The cake, the ice cream, the car – none of that stuff is important to me. You protected what really matters. Trinity. Logan. You."

Kylo felt Hux's hand on his chin, and then he was turned to face Hux, who kissed him on the lips. Kylo melted into the kiss, clinging tightly to Hux's neck as if his life depended on it. 

"Oh!" Kylo exclaimed. "I almost forgot your birthday present!" He swung his legs over the side of the bed and prepared to get up, but Hux stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"You've had a long day, love. Just rest."

"Are you sure?" Kylo asked. He lowered his voice to just above a whisper and glanced pointedly toward the drawer where they kept their lingerie and toys. "It's... you know..."

"I know," said Hux, pulling Kylo back down next to him. He brushed Kylo's hair off his neck and kissed it softly, lips barely grazing skin. "You can give me my present tomorrow. I guess I really am getting old, turning down sex from my gorgeous husband." He chuckled.

Kylo blushed as he settled his back against Hux's warm body. "You didn't tell me you had another husband," he quipped.

"He's perfect," Hux said with a nuzzle. "He's exactly like you, except his jokes are funny."

Kylo rolled his eyes. "Come on, that was kind of funny."

"I plead the fifth," said Hux, "but I love you anyway."

"Love you too," he murmured, and in almost no time at all, Kylo was asleep in Hux's arms.


End file.
